1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a phased array RF coil module and an imaging apparatus using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An imaging apparatus, such as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, a digital radiography (DR) apparatus, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus or a computed tomography (CT) apparatus, acquires information regarding an inner structure of a target object, for example, a human body, and generates a visible image based on the acquired information, and provides such an image to a user.
In order to image the internal cross-section of a target object, for example, a human body, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus utilizes nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in which atomic nuclei resonate with electromagnetic waves of a designated frequency.
Atomic nuclei of elements of hydrogen (H), phosphorous (P), sodium (Na) or various carbon isotopes at the inside of a target object, for example, a human body, all have particles with characteristics called spins. Therefore, if atomic nuclei are exposed to an external magnetic field, i.e., a static magnetic field, and are thus magnetized, spins of the atomic nuclei are arranged in the direction of the magnetic field and are rapidly rotated at a designated angle to a central axis by torque received from the magnetic field, and such a phenomenon is referred to as precession. A frequency of precession, which is also known by persons of ordinary skill the art as also being referred to as a Larmor frequency. Such a Larmor frequency is proportional to the intensity of the static magnetic field. When electromagnetic waves of a frequency equal to or similar to the Larmor frequency are applied to the above-described atomic nuclei, a magnetization vector of the atomic nuclei resonates and is thus oriented orthogonally to the static magnetic field. At this time, the magnetization vector induces a voltage signal, generally referred to a free induction decay (FID) signal, on neighboring RF coils. The magnetic resonance imaging apparatus generates an inner image of a target object, for example, a human body, from the induced voltage signal, and provides the generated image to a user.
Since the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus mainly images the distribution of hydrogen atoms, the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus can be advantageous in observation in a human body having a large number of hydrogen atoms.